


only changed, and not strange forever

by rainny_days



Series: your name was the first word for love i ever knew [1]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, am i obsessed w martin and melanie??? yes, georgie is an awesome gf, jon is an awesome bf, jon takes care of martin, let martin have friends 2kforever, melanie deserves happiness and i will give it to her if it's the last thing i do, tHEY JUST HAVE. A GOOD DAY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-12 07:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21231107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainny_days/pseuds/rainny_days
Summary: A double-date, in the after.(or: two Magnus Institute employees, a former Youtuber and a podcaster walk into a cafe. They have a pretty good time.)





	only changed, and not strange forever

**Author's Note:**

> i had,,,a lot of feelings about these friendships.
> 
> title is from unmade, from the lynburn legacy. the full quote reads _'She had to remember that there was power and magic in life: that when the sun laid a ray as warm as a hand on her head as they left the graveyard, it could be an unseen hand, reaching out to her with love. Only changed, and not strange forever'_, because i am a sap

“Jon, it’s going to be fine,” Martin tries to tell his boyfriend (_his boyfriend_, his mind repeats, gleeful and a little hysterical. _his boyfriend, his boyfriend, his _actual_ boyfriend_), taking one of Jon’s hands from where it’s gripping the handle of his tea mug, trying to steady it with his fingers. He isn’t as confident as he (hopefully) sounds, but Jon is all but vibrating with nerves inside of the cafe, and Martin doesn’t want his evening to be ruined before it even starts.

Jon shakes his head, stubborn in the face of attempted comfort in a way that always makes Martin feel a strange mix of exasperation and fondness. He holds onto that emotion, rolling it over in his chest like a talisman, grateful for the opportunity to feel at all.

The hand in his is clammy, and Martin grips it tighter. “She- she didn’t want Melanie to come,” Jon stumbles out, the words a whirlwind of anxiety fighting their way out of his throat. “She said that it wouldn’t be healthy, for us to- to meet with her like this, while we’re still-” his throat clicks, rewinds. “What if she’s right?”

Privately, Martin isn't sure he doesn’t agree with Georgie. He still remembers the Melanie from when Jon was gone, and he’s not sure he wants to be the cause of her backsliding into that dark, angry place. But then again- it’s _ Jon _, who had been so happy in his shattering, cautious way that Martin couldn’t even imagine saying no. He isn’t about to start now.

Martin takes a breath, tries to be brave enough for the both of them. “She wouldn’t have agreed, in the end, if she really didn’t want to do it,” he says. “I mean- I don’t know her that well, or anything-” he thinks of the small, fierce, terrifyingly perceptive woman he’d spoken to all of once. “- but she doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d cave for something she doesn’t want to do, especially if it’s for someone she- loves.” She’d loved Jon enough not to help him, after all, and even if Martin couldn’t agree with her, he could still understand her reasons.

He leans closer to Jon. Smiles, touches his free hand to the dear curve of his jaw. “Don’t get too into your head, love,” he says. “It’ll be fine.”

Jon stares at him, eyes wide and awed, and Martin retraces his words, feels himself flush. He bites his lip to swallow the instinctive urge to backtrack, to coil back his affections the way he’d done back when the idea of Jon loving him back seemed more impossible than anything in the statements.

“Jon?” The two of them turn, startled out of their bubble. Georgie stares at them, intent and a little curious, her hands holding two steaming mugs. Beside her, Melanie is touching her elbow, her other hand holding a recognisable support cane. Jon, beside him, gives them his best attempt at a smile, which gentles into something more authentic when Georgie smiles back. 

Melanie raises her hand from Georgie’s forearm, waves it a little. “Hey, Jon,” she says, a little stilted. “and...Martin.”

Martin tries not to stare at the scars around her eyes, pale pink and scattering like starbursts. It’s not so much the sight of them that startles him - there’s not much in terms of gore that truly startles him, these days - but instead the strangeness of their place on _ Melanie _, who he hadn’t seen in truth for- months, at least. In exchange for the scars, though, is a steadiness to her hands and a quiet contentment in the way she holds herself that Martin feels himself helplessly glad at the sight of. 

She almost seems like the Melanie who’d dragged him out for drinks when he’d been worried about Jon, the Melanie that passed around bits of office gossip as though they were nothing but normal co-workers. She seems like the person Martin had wanted to befriend, once. And he doesn’t tend to hope for much, these days, trying to just be happy with the incredible gifts that he’s already been given, but he allows himself to hope, just a little, that they could one day be the friends that he’d so quietly wished for before.

“Hey, Melanie,” Martin says, when he realises that he’s been quiet for a beat too long. Georgie gives him a Look, readying herself to fight on Melanie’s behalf at the first sign of hurt. It’s familiar enough that it startles a smile out of him, and she blinks, smiles a little warily back.

“It’s nice that you could make it,” Georgie puts their mugs on the table, pulls a chair out for Melanie, then herself, and the two of them sit across from Martin and Jon. “Part of me didn’t think you’d be able to.”

Jon looks uncomfortable, but determined. “I- we decided that it would be counterproductive, to spend all our time in the Archives. It’s important, to have some...perspective.”

Georgie looks warm at that, and Martin has the distinct impression that Jon’s work-life balance (or lack thereof) had been a point of contention between the two of them. The - comparatively - easy familiarity that they treat each other with still stings, a little, but Jon’s hand is still in his, so Martin carefully tucks down that sharp, distrustful part of him into a corner.

“That’s...great,” Melanie says, looking offensively surprised. “That’s, that’s really good, Jon.” her smile turns a little amused. “I’m guessing Martin was the one who convinced you?”

Martin flushes. “Actually,” he says, caught between embarrassment and affection. “Jon was the one who insisted.”

“I had to practically drag him out of the office,” Jon confirms, looking over at Martin with exasperation, which was rich of him. “Honestly, it’s not as if he’s used any of his paid leave for the past - months, so he’s due for a few breaks.”

“Not that it matters,” Martin continues. “It’s not like we’re going to be fired if we’re not in, or anything. Elias-” Melanie’s face does something complicated at the sound of his name, and Martin barrels on before it can settle. “- has been even more evasive, lately. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that he wouldn’t know if we were even gone.”

“That’s- worrying,” Melanie furrows her brows. “Are you sure-” she’s cut off by Georgie’s hand on her forearm, and sighs. “Right, sorry, no work talk.”

“It’s hard to avoid, given the givens,” Jon says, commiserating. “But we’re doing everything we can. You shouldn’t worry, especially while you’re still recovering.”

“I’m doing a lot better, actually,” Melanie smiles. “I’ve been guest-starring on What the Ghost, just so I have something to do while I figure things out.”

Georgie brightens. “She’s _ brilliant _ at it,” she gushes. “I’d ask her to stay, but- well, I don’t think more discussion of the supernatural is on her list of desired qualities in a job.”

“It’s not _ that _ bad,” Melanie says. “I mean- it’s almost nice, sometimes, talking about things that I know aren’t real.” Georgie looks like she wants to argue the point, but doesn’t have the heart to burst Melanie’s bubble. “I mean-” Melanie catches what she says, and waves a hand a little. “It’s not- _ you know _.”

Jon snorts, and Martin can’t help his own smile at the sight of Melanie’s awkward backpedal.

“It’s not spooky enough for you, babe?” Georgie asks, arch. Melanie dissolves into helpless laughter, which Georgie ignores as she continues, mock-offended. “_ I’m _not spooky enough?”

“It’s-” Melanie gasps out, shoving her shoulder against Georgie’s. “It’s hard to compete when _ Jon _ was my last boss, Georgie-”

Jon makes a noise of offense, and Melanie puts a palm out. “Jon, don’t you _ dare _ try to deny that you’re spooky. You’re, like, the _ definition _ of spook!”

Martin chokes on a snicker at the deeply insulted look on Jon’s face. “He hates that word,” Martin says, voice shaking a little with repressed laughter. “It’s- unprofessional.”

“_ Unprofessional _ ?” Melanie starts giggling again. “You’re worried about being _ unprofessional _?”

“It’s not about professionalism,” Jon protests. “It’s about maintaining a level of-” he falters.

Georgie grins at him. “You can say it, Jon,” she says. “We won’t judge- much.”

Jon glares at her for a moment, before his eyes flicker to Martin. They hold, soften, and he doesn’t protest when Melanie starts teasing him again.

* * *

They talk comfortably for a while, conversation neatly side-stepping the apocalypse-shaped elephant in the room. The noise in the cafe swells as the afternoon goes on, the hum of voices becoming a constant. Martin isn’t sure if the sound is comforting or overwhelming - or maybe both.

“I-” he falters when he realises that there’s been a lull in the conversation, three faces turned towards his. Jon looks concerned, and Martin quickly gives his hand a squeeze. “I’m just going to run to the washroom,” he says, trying to sound comforting, and walks perhaps a little faster than usual into the washroom doors. Inside, he splashes some water on himself, breathes a little of the quiet in. For all that he’d realised he’d been wrong about in the Lonely, there was still one thing the told Jon that was the absolute truth- nothing _ hurt _ in there, the way it did outside. After months and months of isolation, with nothing but the promise of Jon and the others _ safe _ to keep him sane in the cold and silence, being among the living- the _ alive _\- sometimes felt more painful than not.

He tried to keep it from Jon as well as he could, but he knew that Jon could tell that he wasn’t acclimating as well as he pretended to. It wasn’t that he didn’t _ want _ to not be alone, but- even before Peter, he had been used to being on his own, and now, he never was. It was everything he wanted and far too much at the same time, and Martin was trying to walk that fine line without looking down.

When he feels steady enough to leave the room, he’s startled to find Melanie standing beside the door.

“Uh,” he says. “The lady’s room is- further down?”

She snorts. “I wanted to talk to you,” she says. “Alone.”

Martin blinks, unable to help his shoulders from tensing. “Is something wrong?”

She shakes her head. “No- I, I just wanted-” she sounds nervous, and Martin is strangely glad that she _ gets _to be nervous, now. Nervous and happy and embarrassed and in-love, the way she hadn’t been able to. “I wanted to apologise.”

“What?” Martin stares at her. “For what?”

“For- everything,” she laces her hands together in front of her awkwardly, her cane hanging from her wrist. “What I did, when I was still at the archives- the way I treated you-”

Martin is already shaking his head, confused. “You were- you were fine,” he insists. “Until you were under the influence of the Slaughter, and that’s not exactly your _ fault _-”

“That doesn't excuse anything!” she exclaims, startling him. “I- I shouted at you, and threw things at you, and said _ horrible _ things- just because, what, you didn’t want to murder someone in cold blood?” her eyes, horrifyingly, are filling with tears. “I never got to apologise for that, and I- ever since I got that bullet out, I wanted to. I’m part of the reason why you thought you had to go to Lukas, why you thought you couldn’t trust any of us-”

Martin reaches out his hands before stopping himself. “Melanie,” he says helplessly. “I- it wasn’t _ you _ , it wasn’t anyone! I was- I wasn’t in a good place, and it wasn’t that I didn’t _ trust _ you, it was that I-” _ thought I was useless, thought that nobody would notice if I disappeared, thought that even if you didn’t need me, that I could at least protect you. _“It was me,” he says, finally. “It was just me.”

Melanie is quiet for a moment, before she moves towards him, throwing her hands around his sides. Martin closes his eyes around his own tears, pressing his palms against her small, strong back.

“I really am sorry,” she says, muffled into his sweater. “And I’m really glad you’re okay.”

“I forgive you,” Martin says, choked. “And I’m glad you’re alright, too.” he pauses. “But I still think you didn’t _ do _ anything that-”

Melanie punches him in the shoulder, causing him to yelp. “Shut up and let us have a moment,” she says, and Martin aquieces.

* * *

Jon’s staring at him with concern when he and Melanie return, both of them red-eyed and clinging on to each other, but Georgie just smiles at them knowingly.

“It’s getting late,” she says. “We should get home. I have a recording tomorrow morning and I don’t want to fall asleep mid-podcast.”

“Like usual, you mean?” Melanie teases lightly, but takes Georgie’s elbow as it brushes her hand. Jon stands up as well, his eyes flickering to the two of them before it turns back, unerringly, to Martin.

“Yes,” he says. “We should get going as well.” he reaches out and takes Martin’s hand, easy as breathing, and Martin smiles at him.

As they walk out the cafe doors, Georgie pauses, then sighs. “It was- good, seeing you,” she says to Jon. Her eyes turn to Martin. “And you, too. We should do it again, sometime. Or maybe- if you want, you can come over. The Admiral misses you.”

Martin hadn’t noticed the subtle tension in Jon’s shoulders until it disappeared, like another little bit of the weight that he had been carrying around had finally been lifted.

“Yes-” he stutters out, pleased. “That’d- that’d be good. I miss, I miss him, too.”

Georgie smiles at that. Hugs him, and then Martin.

“You’re good for him,” she whispers into his ear. “I’m happy for you two.”

Martin feels something unnameable in his chest, huge and billowing. “Thank you,” he whispers back, and smiles at her when he lets go.

The two of them watch as Georgie and Melanie walk away, and Jon turns to him, eyes intent.

“Was this- okay?” he asks, careful.

Martin smiles back at him- it was moments like this when he wished that he could have a little of Jon’s Sight, so that he could preserve these kinds of days in the amber of his mind, infinite and beautiful, something he can hold when the cold creeps in. He doesn’t say that, instead leaning in and kissing Jon, trying to convey the breadth of his gratitude in the gesture.

“Yes, Jon,” he says, when he pulls back. “Today was wonderful.”

**Author's Note:**

> come play with me [@tweetsongs](https://tweetsongs.tumblr.com) on tumblr


End file.
